Last Chance
by Haitus80
Summary: They could be dead tomorrow so why not, right? Takes place at the quarry. I wasn't going to post this since it was just a little something I wrote to cheer up my best friend but the few that read it say I should share with the rest of you. So this is me, sharing away. A bit of fluff at the end. If you aren't into Caryl then move on!


**Crap! I had to come back and write an A/N! Duh. Okay, some of you are going to think that this little idea is unlikely but hey, that's what this site is for, right? Anyway, hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading! And I can't help for all my one shots to contain smut. lol If you don't like smut maybe you might want to skip this one ;) Much love to you all!**

Chapter One

He watched her put the pick axe in her husband's face one last time before she wordlessly shoved the handle towards him. He took it from her, squinting in the sunlight as he stared at her. Was she crying because he was gone? Or was she crying because her torment was finally over? With people like that, it was hard to tell. He remembered the day his father died. He'd shed tears himself, even after everything the old man had done to him. It wasn't something he could explain. It was just something that was there.

She walked slowly towards the seat where Dale was sitting. He watched her go and then continued on with the work he had been doing before she had asked for the pick ax. He felt nothing for the dead around him. These people didn't give a shit about him and he didn't give a shit back. He would have been long gone by now if his damn brother hadn't went off to Atlanta, high as a kite and ended up with his ass hand cuffed to a roof.

They had left him there to die like some dog. He didn't think they would have went back at all if he hadn't thrown such a fit. But he had thrown a fit and it had been too late by the time they got there to rescue Merle. Merle was gone. It was their fault he was gone and he hadn't hesitated to tell them that all of this was their fault. They left his brother for dead and now their own loved ones were lying there waiting to get a pick ax to the skull. He didn't even flinch as he worked.

Fuck them. Every last one of them could go straight to hell. He'd like to line every one of them up and put that ax right into every one of their heads.

The day wore on and there was a lot of talk about leaving. He had a decision to make. On one hand this was the very group that left his brother. On the other, they had weapons and numbers and without them he didn't have anyone. Not one person. He was alone in the world now and he had to take what he could get.

He was sitting alone at his camp, minding his own fucking business when he heard someone coming up behind him. Whoever it was wasn't trying to be quiet so he wasn't worried about someone sneaking up on him. He kept his eyes on the fire.

"Here," a soft voice said from beside him.

He turned his head, his eyes flicking up to the woman that stood next to his chair. She pushed a plate into his hands and then turned to walk away.

"I don't need nobodies pity," he snapped, noticing how she flinched at his harsh tone.

She stopped and for a few long seconds she stood there with her back to him. "I guess it's a good thing I'm not offering any then," she said over her shoulder before she continued on down the slight incline.

He watched her go, chewing on the inside of his lip before he looked down at the plate of food she had brought him. It was more than he was used to eating in one sitting. He dug in with a frown. He stared into the flames, barely tasting the food. He didn't know why he felt the need to be a dick to the woman. It wasn't like she hadn't been treated badly enough.

Sleep didn't come easily that night. He tossed and turned, wondering whether or not his brother was going to show up and wreak havok on the group for what they had done. He crawled out of his tent and slung his bow over his shoulder, the familiar weight was a comfort. He might as well make a few rounds around camp to make sure there wasn't any more of those things creeping around. Not that he owed these assholes a damn thing.

He was near the path to the quarry when he heard something coming towards camp. He passed the tent that Ed had died in and raised the crossbow, crouching low as he made his way towards the sound. It was closer now, only one more bend to round before he could put a bolt in it's brain. His finger sat firmly on the trigger.

She appeared quickly around the corner and he nearly shot a bolt right through her head. She gasped and covered her mouth when she saw him there. He dropped the bow and then grabbed her by the upper arm, not too roughly but rough enough so she would know he was fucking pissed. He could have just killed this stupid woman.

"What the fuck do ya think you're doin'?" He snapped.

Her eyes grew wide and frightened so he loosened his grip even more. He didn't want to scare her but she had scared the shit out of him. What if he had shot her? Jesus, that little girl would have had no one.

"I-I went to take a bath," she whispered.

He raked his narrow eyed gaze over her. Sure enough her hair was still wet, drops of water slipping down the long column of her neck and collecting in the collar of her shirt. "In the dark?" he frowned.

Her eyes darted away from him and she looked down at her feet. When she raised her head and met his eyes again hers were shining with tears. "Yes, Daryl. In the dark."

He wasn't aware that she even knew his name. "You know how dangerous it is out there? Why didn't ya just go with the rest of the women when they went down there today? You think you're immune to a walker bite?" He tried to force himself to stop sounding so harsh with her but it wasn't easy. He was still a little shaken.

"I don't think that at all. I just don't bathe with the others is all. Can you let me by now?"

He dropped his hand from her arm and stepped out of the way. He wasn't sure what possessed him to do it but he reached out and caught her wrist before she could walk away from him. "I'm sorry about earlier."

She turned her head sharply and stared at him, curiosity clear on her face as she studied him. Finally she turned her body so there was only about a foot separating them. "So am I. You're a grown man. It isn't any of my business whether you eat or not." She offered him a weak smile. "I'm also sorry about your brother."

"I ain't gonna tell you I'm sorry bout your husband." He looked down at her slender wrist in his hand and dropped it.

She didn't make another move to leave. "Neither am I."

He frowned. "You seemed pretty upset earlier..." She silenced him with a finger to his lips. He flinched slightly but then stayed very still.

She took a deep breath and her eyes flitted around as a sad smile graced her lips. "It's amazing what a person can get used too. The things that others see as atrocious are just normal things to the person living them. It's a scary world out there, Daryl. More scary now than it was when Ed was the only threat. It's scary and it's big. I didn't want to be alone here. I'd take the beatings in exchange for what relative safety he could provide from those things." She shook her head and met his eyes. "I don't expect you to understand that. No one else does." She dropped her finger and turned. He let her walk away.

He watched her go until she disappeared into Dales camper. There was a lot more to this woman than people first saw. Her words had him feeling strange, like something in him that had been sleeping was suddenly waking up. He didn't like the feeling at all because it had him wishing she hadn't left him standing there. It had him wishing that she had kept talking. Her words soothing to the sleepy beast inside.

A few more minutes he stood there staring at that camper door and then suddenly it opened and she was right there, closing it back silently behind her. He stayed in the shadows and watched her as she sat on a log near a dying fire and wiped at her eyes almost angrily. He watched her as she watched the small flames, feeling like maybe he had something to offer her and knowing it was stupid to feel that way. He didn't know how to comfort people. He'd never received comfort himself so it wasn't something he felt he just could do.

So why was his feet carrying him towards the woman? There was nothing he could do about it now because she suddenly looked up and saw him coming towards her. She once again wiped tears from her face and smiled. She always had a smile for him. He found himself liking it.

He sat down across from her on a log of his own. Her eyes locked onto his and there seemed to be a message conveyed over that small space.

"Are you a night owl too?" she asked finally, breaking the strange silence that hung between them.

He nodded. "I 'spose I have been lately."

With a slight nod she looked away. She looked sad. More than that, she really did look like she was completely alone. "Why are you here?" she asked, catching him off guard.

He suddenly felt stupid for following her over here. What the hell had he been thinking? He stood up and, without a word, walked towards his own camp. His face was flaming as he stomped towards his tent. He was so embarrassed that he hadn't even heard her come up behind him until she said something.

"Daryl?"

He spun around, face still flaming.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked, clearly confused at his sudden departure.

From the way it had sounded to him she was asking him what he was doing there because she clearly hadn't wanted him to be there at all. And now she was following him to his camp asking what she did wrong.

What a cluster fuck.

"Figured you wanted to be alone," he said quickly, wanting very much to be alone himself. Talking to people wasn't his strong suit. He had no idea what he had been thinking.

She laughed. It was a sad laugh and it didn't reach her eyes but it was still there. "I really did."

His heart sank and he didn't even understand why. "Then what the hell are you doin' all the way over here?"

"I asked you a question and you just up and took off. I wanted to know why. I wanted to know why you are here. Why you are staying on even after what happened to your brother?"

Oh. He had misunderstood her. He thought she was wanting to know why he was bothering her when really she had just been trying to coax him into conversation. God, how fucking stupid did a person have to be to not even be able to engage in normal conversation without running off?

He cleared his throat. "Cause I ain't got no where else to be."

She nodded. "I'm glad."

This caused a frown to settle between his eyebrows. "Why?"

The only answer she gave him was a slight shrug. "Do you plan on staying for good?"

He eyed her wearily. "I don't know." And he was telling the truth. He really didn't know at that point. He would have liked to tell her to go on somewhere and mind her own goddamn business but he couldn't. He didn't really want her too. No one else in camp had ever tried to befriend him. It wasn't that he wanted any of them too but it would have been nice to have at least one person to talk to. And there was something about this woman that struck a cord with him.

When he felt her hand brush his arm he nearly jumped out of his skin but he didn't want to scare her any more than he already had tonight so he clenched his teeth together and forced himself to be still.

"I really hope that you stay." Her voice was so quiet that he almost didn't even hear it. She turned on her heal and walked away, back towards the camper, leaving him staring after her.

He had no idea why she would have said that to him. She didn't know him at all and as much as he hated to admit it, he felt pretty good. The rest of them could look down on him. The rest of them could keep him around because he was a good shot and they needed the man power. The rest of them could kiss his ass. But he didn't feel that way about her.

~H~

When Carol woke up the rest of the camp was still quiet. Sophia was asleep and so was everyone else crowded inside the walls of the R.V. She picked her way carefully over the sleeping forms of T-dog and Glenn and then silently made her way outside. She had always been an early riser. Ed slept in as much as he could on his days off and she would always get up early so she could enjoy the stillness for a while before he woke up an inevitably ruined any chance of peace. Even when she stayed up most of the night, waiting for him to hurt her, she was early to rise.

It was barely daybreak and everything was quiet. She decided to gather up her and Sophia's things from the tent that she hadn't even bothered to take down. T-dog and Daryl had been the ones to drag Ed's corpse out of it and she wasn't sure how extensive the damage may be. She had a pretty strong stomach. She had spent years cleaning up blood. Of course, it was usually her own. This was going to be different. This was the blood of her husband.

She glanced around quickly before she let the smile drift across her lips. The anguish and the torment was over for her. At least this chapter of it was. After talking to Daryl last night she had come to a realization. She didn't fear those things as much as she had feared Ed. Those things were frightening in a different way. They brought death and chaos but Ed had brought a slow suffering to her. She knew it was wrong to smile at the thought of the man's demise, but she wouldn't force it back. She was free. Free until one of those things came out of the trees and fed off her flesh. She didn't know how much time she had. She didn't know how much time her daughter had. All she knew, with any amount of certainty, was that she didn't have any intentions of wasting this new found freedom. Especially when she knew for a fact that any day now could be their last.

She unzipped the tent and then had to turn her head and take a quick step back. The smell was atrocious. She glanced in quickly and then grimaced as she fought back the urge to gag.

"You might as well leave it."

She spun around, startled by the low voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. Daryl stood a few feet behind her, hand gripping the bow strap, eyes glued on the carnage inside the open tent flap. She hadn't even heard him coming.

"I can't. We can't all crowd into that tin can every night and this is the only tent we have," she whispered.

He huffed, causing her to look at him once more. He was rubbing absently at the back of his neck. "I can give ya Merle's. It's big enough for you and your little girl. I don't need two tents and Merle sure as hell ain't gonna be needin' it."

"Thank you," the smile she gave him felt like it was going to split her face in half.

He blinked at her a few times and then his eyes flitted back to the tent, his thumb nail going to his mouth. "Ain't no big deal. No need for a girl to go to sleep smellin' her daddy's rotten corpse. You'd never get the smell out."

"That's sweet, Daryl."

He huffed again and then stalked off towards his camp, his face flaming. She scanned the camp and found it still empty so she took a deep breath and followed him. She didn't know why but there was something about the guy that intrigued her. It was more than his sure footed swagger as he navigated through the sparse trees to his camp, or the way he filled out those ragged cargo pants, or the way he seemed like a barely restrained feral cat. There was an animalistic quality about this man that had her...

She stopped in her tracks. What the_ hell_ was she thinking! Her husband had just been killed! And she was following this man around very much like she was some sort of lost puppy. There was still heat pooling low in her belly as her eyes followed the line of his frame. No. Not like a lost puppy. Like a dog in heat.

She thought about what she had decided earlier. She had decided not to waste any time. She decided not to waste her freedom, since they were always in danger she had the overwhelming urge to simply _live_. To_ feel._ Not that she had a chance in hell with this man. He'd seen her sobbing over the battered body of her husband after Shane had beat him to a pulp. She was a stupid woman that had been a punching bag to a vicious man and compared to the other women around here she wasn't much to look at either.

But he seemed to do more looking at her than he did the other women in camp. Most likely because he thought she was some sort of moron. Her feet started moving again and she was surprised the poor man didn't burst into flame with the intensity of her stare.

He spun around once he made it to his camp, his eyes growing slightly wider as she approached him. He glanced around his camp, almost looking like he was searching for an escape route and she suddenly felt so stupid that she stopped once again in her tracks, thinking of an excuse she could give him for following him up here.

"I... er... Ed had a lot of provisions hidden away from the others. If you want I can bring some up here for you to stash away for the trip."

He settled his flighty gaze on her and then seemed to contemplate her words for longer than necessary before finally shrugging. "I 'spose it's a fair trade, right? A tent for some food?"

She smiled at him again and was completely thrilled to see the corner of his mouth turn up before he looked down at his boots, turning a soft shade of pink once more. "I guess I need to go start breakfast before the rest of them start stirring." She wasn't able to hide the regret in her tone. She wanted nothing more than to stay here with him, get to know the enigma that was Daryl Dixon, but she knew he wasn't too fond of people. She wasn't sure if it was people in general or just this group but either way she wasn't planning on bugging him.

"You should let them other women do somethin' for once. Every time I look down there you're the one doin' the cookin' and the wash. You ain't their damn nurse maid." He met her eyes again, his were narrowed.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I can't very well go cook myself something and not make something for the others. I'm always the first one up so it's natural for me to be the one to start the morning."

"You ain't always the first one up. I am. And don't think I waste my damn time cookin' for them assholes."

She sighed. "Well, me and you are different."

He met her eyes and held them, causing her pulse to quicken. "Not as much as you might think," he muttered.

She let her arms drop to her sides as she stared at him for long seconds. His tone had been cryptic in a way and she couldn't help but wonder what he could have meant by those words.

"Ya like eggs?" he asked suddenly, catching her completely off guard.

She felt herself frowning. "We haven't had anything like that in weeks. But yes, I do wish we had some eggs."

He motioned for her to cross the last ten feet or so into his own camp. "Went out this mornin'," he muttered as he put a small amount of lard into a small iron skillet and sat it right there in the embers of his fire. "I scored pretty big," he smirked as he pulled a leather bag closer to him. He carefully started removing something from the bag and she couldn't quell her curiosity. She made her way closer and knelt down next to him.

"What's that?" she wrinkled her nose as she spotted what he had "scored" that had him in such a good mood. She knew what they were. They were eggs. What had her worried were what kind.

He looked at her like she was the dumbest thing he'd ever saw and then scoffed. "Quail eggs, woman. Jesus Christ." He shook his head disapprovingly.

"Are they any good?" she asked, still unsure if she trusted the little brown speckled eggs to be edible or not.

"Fuck yeah, they're good," was his reply as he started scrambling them.

"Are you inviting me to breakfast, Mr. Dixon?" she teased, having no idea where it was coming from but unable to resist herself.

He scowled into the pan as he stirred the eggs. "If it means some of them other bitches end up with a little work on their hands then yeah, I'm invitin' your ass to breakfast."

She couldn't help but grin. She didn't know what had gotten into her. She didn't know why she was going out of her way to be near this man and she didn't know why she couldn't stop looking at him in very inappropriate ways. He decided at that moment to stand up and she decided at that moment to turn her head towards him and then she nearly fell on her ass when her eyes zeroed in on the crotch of his pants that was about three inches from her face.

She was staring at it and he knew she was staring at it as he backed up a few steps. When her eyes raked up to meet his his face was flaming and he almost looked angry. She felt the blood rise in her own face as she dropped her gaze to the ground. She was seriously thinking abut getting to her feet and running away from his camp like her tail end was on fire but that would have been even more humiliating than him knowing that she had just been ogling his crotch.

"Here."

She looked up. He had a plate of the eggs pushed towards her. She took it with a barely mumbled thank you.

He surprised her by sitting down right next to her. He wasn't looking at anything but his plate, however. She decided to follow his lead. The eggs actually looked pretty good. She took an experimental bite and then nearly moaned. They were delicious. So much better than what they had been eating for the past few weeks.

She turned her head when she actually heard him chuckle. He kept his head down but his eyes flicked over to her. "Told ya."

Neither one of them wasted any more energy talking. He scarfed his down quickly but she took her time with her own. He handed her a cup of coffee but before she could say anything she heard someone behind her.

"Carol?"

She looked over her shoulder when she heard her name. Shane was standing there with Rick. It was him who had spoken and she offered him a smile. "Good morning," She said happily.

"You gave us a scare. Lori and Andrea were worried when they got up and you weren't in camp." He put his hands on his hips.

"They worried they'd have to fend for themselves?" Daryl asked under his breath.

Carol was the only one that heard him and without thinking she elbowed him lightly in the ribs and tried to stifle a laugh. When she glanced back at him he was actually smiling as he fiddled with a bolt.

She stood up but before following Rick and Shane towards the larger camp she turned. He was watching her go, a small frown on his face. He started chewing his thumb nail.

"Thank you for breakfast, Daryl." And she meant it. There was something about spending the morning with him that had her feeling absolutely giddy.

He gave her a nod before looking away.

~H~

He wasn't sure why the hell he had wanted her to stay and eat with him. Maybe it was because he really was just that lonely. Starved for attention or at least some mild conversation. She was interesting. Much more interesting than the other people he was stuck with. At first glance she was nothing but a timid little thing, flinching at every turn. But she wasn't really like that now. Once you took the time to look a little deeper she was much more interesting than that. And he had to admit that he had enjoyed her company more than he had enjoyed anyone elses for a while. Or maybe ever. Even when she was blatantly staring at his dick. He shook his head and felt his face heat up. Maybe if he hadn't stood up and nearly slapped her in the face with it. Jesus Christ, how embarrassing.

_You got yourself a crush there, boy? _

He could hear Merle's taunting voice in the back of his mind but he just shook his head. He loved Merle with everything in him but the guy was a real asshole sometimes. He didn't have a crush on the damn woman. Hell, her husband hadn't been dead for much more than a day.

_Didn't stop her from eyeballin' the hell outta your goods, baby brother._

He flushed some more as he started packing up some more of his and Merle's things. The never ending voice of his brother in his head had a point. It wasn't every day a woman undressed Daryl Dixon with her eyes but that really was what it had seemed like. He'd panicked a bit at first but then decided that it wasn't the worst thing in the world to happen to him. She was a good looking woman. Not all flamboyant and ready to stick her tits in someone's face like the blond or all fluttery eyed and ball busting like the brunette. No, she wasn't like either of them. And she certainly wasn't like anything Merle brought home to screw. She was different. She was kind of like him. He shook that thought as he filled up another bag.

He was damn near pissed when they told him that they were going to wait another day before heading out but he got over it quickly. He wasn't too worried about another group of those things making their way up there. He was ready to find somewhere a little more permanent than here but he really didn't have a whole lot to complain about. Hell, he was alive. That was more than he could say about the rest of them. One more night wouldn't hurt anything. Maybe he'd be able to talk to Caro...

What the fuck was he thinking about her for?

_Cause you're finally realizin' that you could be dead by dawn and you ain't even got your cherry popped._

He spent the rest of the day trying to keep himself busy but it wasn't easy. Every single time he glanced over at her she was watching him and it was making him nervous as fuck. Was that voice in his head right? Was he subconsciously thinking that his days were numbered and he really did just want to finally say to hell with it and get laid? Surely that wasn't it. He wasn't some callous fuck like his brother. There was more to him than that. He fucking liked her. It was that simple. So what if, every now and then, he happened to notice the flare of her hips or how her eyes lit up when she broke out into a grin? That didn't mean shit.

He didn't have any intentions of fucking the woman but it didn't stop him from catching her on her way to the trail that led down to the water once the sun went down and the rest of them went off to sleep.

He told himself that he was just proving a point to her. He watched her walk by and he slipped out of the trees behind her and followed her silently for a few feet before he grabbed her around the waist and then brought his hand up over her mouth to silence the scream before it escaped her throat.

"You see how easy it is for someone to get their ass killed out here, alone in the dark?" He growled close to her ear. His goal had been to scare her out of wondering off on her own. He hadn't thought any further ahead than that. Once she heard his voice she sagged in relief, leaning into him now instead of trying to pull away.

Uh oh.

She didn't pull away like he thought she would. He didn't let her go like he knew he should and if he didn't shove her away in about three seconds...

_Ass feels pretty good rubbing all up on ya, huh?_

He felt a trembling hand come around and cover his. His was still pressed flat against her stomach and regardless of how many times he told himself to drop his hand he didn't. His lips were still dangerously close to her ear and he knew that she could hear his breath coming faster. He knew she would be able to hear the pounding of his heart against her back.

What the fuck had he been thinking? Did he really think it was a good idea to grab her like that just to show her how dangerous it was out there? He needed to pull away. He needed to drop his hand. He needed to never talk to this woman again for as long as he lived.

But how much longer did they have to live?

But he didn't even know this woman.

But they could be dead by dawn.

Her hand, still shaking, guided his own up a few inches. He could feel her breaths coming in quick pants. He still didn't pull away. Instead he put his other hand on her hip and drew her further into him. This caused certain parts of his body to react instantly and he knew she could feel it. There wasn't enough blood left in his upper body to even bring a blush to his face.

Higher she guided his hand until his thumb was grazing the bottom swell of her breast. He didn't think about it, letting the primal part of his brain take over. An overpowering need too taste her skin filled his frantic mind and with a slight dip of his head he brought his mouth to the side of her neck and did just that. His teeth sank into her soft skin, slow and gentle. Her skin was salty under his tongue and the sound she made had his head reeling, his heart pounding causing parts of him to throb against her painfully.

That animal took over then and he no longer needed the guidance of her hand. He didn't know what the hell had gotten into him, causing him to act this way, whether it was the prospect of a quick death or just an over abundance of years he had kept himself away from physical contact. It didn't matter what the reasons were. What mattered was that he was finally doing something about it.

Sliding his hand from her hip around to the juncture of her thighs caused a low growl to start in his chest and she actually shuddered against him as his other hand palmed the weight of her breast. The flimsy material of her pants did little to block his seeking fingers. He didn't know where this was coming from and he didn't give a damn at the moment. He was doing something right, obviously, considering how her body was quaking under his touch. He wasn't even holding her close anymore, his hands were too busy for any of that, but she was still pressed flush against the front of him.

He didn't hear his brothers voice in his head anymore. He didn't need Merle badgering him because this had nothing to do with Merle goading him into doing things. This was all him. This realization urged him on, causing him to feel more bold than he ever had in his life. For whatever reason, she wanted him, at least physically and for the first time in his life he wanted it too. He wasn't afraid of it.

He dropped his arms and stepped away, snagging her hand in his and nearly dragging her into the trees. Once they were off the trail he spun around, slipped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her face towards his. As soon as his lips touched hers more of that animal took over, causing him to kiss her deeper, rougher. He was acting like a desperate man, greedily exploring her mouth. The salty taste of her skin mixed with the sweet taste of her tongue swirling around his own caused his head to spin and more blood to rush south, leaving him gasping into her mouth.

Through the fog in his mind a quick memory pushed its way through. A vision of the bruise that Ed had left as a parting gift marring the side of her face. More bruises that had yet to fade from her arms. There had to be more that her clothes were hiding. Probably worse than the ones that were visible, and the vision of the bruises in his mind had him wondering if this woman had ever known a mans touch that wasn't somehow brutal. Even him, right now, was being harsher than he should be.

It wasn't that he thought he owed her any kind of tenderness. At this point he wasn't even sure he was capable of a touch that wasn't at least slightly tinged with violence. It was something else. If this was it and neither one of them saw the dawning of a new day, he wanted her to be able to die with at least the memory of being treated with some semblance of kindness. Surely he could do that. She had been kind to him even though to her, he was probably just as bad as her husband had been. But she had talked to him and at least gotten to know him a little before passing judgment.

He could do this. He just had to focus. The grip he had on her waist loosened, instead of his fingers digging roughly into her flesh he used just the tips of his fingers to slide under her shirt, moving lightly around to the small of her back where he rested his hands, pulling her against him still but not as rough as before.

The pace of the kiss slowed considerably and she slowed with him, one trembling hand running down his chest, over his stomach and then, almost shyly, that hand ran down the length of him. This made it much more difficult to keep from ravaging her mouth once more but he stayed in control. He kept himself in check, even when that first tentative touch turned into a full blown stroke. A sound like a whimper escaped her lips.

He wasn't sure how they made it to the ground. It was soft, the dead leaves somehow making a suitable cushion. She had his shirt open, her hands soft on his skin. He was easing her shirt up when suddenly her hands gripped his wrists, stopping him before he could pull it up over her head.

He lifted his head, enough moonlight seeping through the canopy to see the fearful look in her eyes and it was like cold water hitting him. "I'll stop if ya want," he whispered in a husky voice that was heavy with lust.

She shook her head and let go of his wrist. He kissed her again, not understanding why he needed too, just knowing he did. Her arms went around his neck and she pulled him so he was sure he was crushing her but the way her teeth dragged across his bottom lip had him thinking that she was just fine. She let him wrestle her shirt up and over her head and then he braced himself with his arms, lifting his head so his gaze could rake over her.

He knew why she had stopped him from taking it off the first time. He'd been right. In the filtered moonlight he could see the dark bruises spanning across her ribs and stomach. He met her wide eyes once more, understanding more than she would ever know. He felt anger clouding his thoughts. He was angry that someone like her would have to endure something like that at the hands of that asshole. Angry that now she was looking at him like she wasn't exactly sure if he'd end up hurting her. Angry at himself for not stopping the man from doing it.

He didn't try to rush her out of her bra, figuring that she maybe needed a little time to calm herself down. He was afraid that she was maybe regretting letting this go on for as long as she had. Maybe she thought she shouldn't have urged his hand up higher out there on the path, pretty much giving him permission to let things get this far.

He lowered his head and kissed her lips lightly, not even knowing where all this courage was coming from, then brought his lips down to her neck, not biting anymore, even though he wanted too. He moved lower still and traced the edge of the largest bruise with his lips, barely touching her skin, not feeling the least bit ashamed of this weird gentle side of himself that he hadn't even known existed.

He moved his head lower and then felt her hands in his hair, tugging until he moved back up and met her lips again. When she brought her hips up, grinding herself against him he pulled back, searching her face for... hell, he didn't even know what for. Permission, maybe. She bit her lip and moved her eyes down.

"You sure?" Now it was time for him to get nervous. Merle had always told him that Dixons had a knack for this. He'd done an okay job up to this point, but now he wasn't sure what the hell to do.

She nodded and it was then he realized that she hadn't said a word. She hadn't spoken once since he had grabbed her out on the path. He watched her for a few long seconds before raising up on his knees.

"Don't blame me if ya end up with a stick in your ass or somethin'," he grumbled, hoping she would say something, anything at all.

She laughed and then covered her mouth. It was loud and he groaned, holding in a laugh of his own. She hadn't really spoken but he'd take what he could get. He just had to hope the rest of them hadn't heard her, or a walker. The last thing he needed was to get bit at the moment.

Right before he went for the waistband of her pants she scrambled up until she was on her knees as well, right in front of him. Before he could ask what the hell she was doing her hands went to the sides of his face, pulling him so she could kiss him. As soon as his hands slipped around her to battle with the bra she quickly slipped one hand from his face and boldly into the front of his pants.

He jerked in shock when he felt her hand go around him, squeezing gently.

Her lips moved from his mouth to his neck and then she nipped his earlobe lightly. "Why are you so much nicer to me than everyone else?" She whispered right into his ear.

"Cause you got your hand down my pants," he breathed, catching her lips with his own. She was smiling. That was a good thing. She was a stronger woman than he had given her credit for. She shoved him, probably as hard as she could, causing him to fall on his ass in the leaves. "What the hell, Carol..."

He shut his mouth as soon as he felt her straddled him. His hands went to steady her and he realized then that she had ditched her pants. As soon as that flimsy scrap of lace that was her bra was gone she would be completely naked in his lap.

"Is that the only reason?" she asked as she shoved his shirt down his shoulders and then put her hands on his chest so she could ease him down onto his back.

He shook his head quickly, momentarily unable to speak as she freed him from his pants.

"Will you still be nice after this?" She whispered as she moved her body over him, causing him to groan loudly. His hands ran up her thighs. He was glad she'd taken charge of the situation. Not only was it flat out fucking hot to see this meek quiet thing be the aggressor, but it was a relief to know she was going to be the one to get this really going. He hadn't been sure what the hell to do.

"I'll be _nicer_ after this, I swear." He panted. He was close to begging her to hurry up. She was killing him. She was an evil fucking woman.

She moved her hips, trapping him between her legs as she slowly moved back and forth. She leaned down and kissed him again. Where the hell was all of this coming from? She was acting as out of character as he was at the moment. This thought made him want to laugh and he didn't even know why.

"Fuck. You want me to beg or somethin'? You're killin' me here." he hissed as he gripped her hips to still her.

She moved her head back a little so he could see her face. Her eyes were huge and her expression was amazed. It was like she was in shock that he actually wanted her. And at the moment he wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his whole miserable life. The look on her face had him blinking. She was absolutely fucking beautiful. He almost said the words out loud but he bit them back, feeling like an idiot for even thinking them.

He was raised up on his elbows when she moved, raising herself up and then so slowly his eyes rolled back, she lowered herself onto him. Nothing in his life had ever felt so good. She wrapped around him like a hot wet glove. His breath escaped him with a hissing sound and when his eyes finally focused they met hers. She stayed very still for a few seconds before rolling her hips experimentally, getting used to the feel of him.

He whimpered pathetically and dropped back down onto the leaves, his hands sliding up the smooth skin of her thighs until he had her by the hips once more. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think of everything he could to not let himself go too soon. She started moving a little faster, a steady motion that had him biting his lip as he match her movements. He was surprised he was able to hold off. He could feel the muscles inside her start to coil around him and the heat intensified.

"Oh my God," she breathed as her hands dropped to each side of his head and she brought her mouth down to his. She never broke stride though, and she made frantic little sounds as she kissed him deeply. A few seconds later she shuddered and then tightened around him so much that he nearly growled. She cried out against him lips and that was all he could handle. He wrapped one arm around her waist and then rolled so she was under him. She was still shuddering, muscles still clamping down on him and it was almost maddening. He drove into her then, hooking one leg with his arm and moving it up until she was taking in every inch of him. He moved faster, deeper, harder. Driving himself into her until he was so close he had to clamp his lips shut so he wouldn't cry out himself.

Her back arched off the ground and he was startled when she started coming again, secretly smug with himself until he felt his own release. He let go of her leg and she instantly wrapped both of them around his waist. Burying his face in the crook of her neck he finally let himself go, panting and muttering nonsense that he couldn't even comprehend himself. Every cell in his body seemed to be electrified with the intense waves of pleasure he was feeling. It had been a long time since he had even managed to get himself off, with all the crazy shit going on. But this was insane pleasure. This wasn't like anything he had ever felt before and as he poured into her her body seemed to throb with his. He was half out of his mind by the time it was over and even then every muscle in his body seemed to twitch with the aftershocks of it.

Her hands were in his hair, moving his uncooperative head so she could kiss him again. He obliged before he buried his face in her neck once more.

"Don't forget that you said you'd be nicer to me," she whispered.

He raised his head and then pushed most of his upper body off of her with his arms. He stared down at her. She looked happy. He hadn't ever seen her look happy before. Not in the weeks he had seen her. It made his stomach do a bunch of weird shit and his chest feel all fucked up. But in a good way.

He kissed her and then quickly pulled his face away so he could look at her again. Her eyes were shining in the moonlight and she was grinning up at him.

"How do you know I wasn't just talkin' shit so you'd put out?" he asked as gruffly as he could.

She looked like she was thinking about it as she forced the grin off her face. When she met his eyes again she shrugged. "Eggs."

He barked out a laugh. "Eggs?"

She nodded and laced her hands at the back of his neck. "You wouldn't have shared your eggs with just anybody. You _like_ me."

He snorted and then moved down so he was no longer inside her. "I'm a Dixon, lady. We don't like nobody."

"I'm learning a lot about Dixons." She said quietly.

"Oh yeah?" he mumbled as his finger traced the edges of the bra he never managed to get off of her.

"Yeah."

He could hear the grin in her voice. "Like what?"

"Like, they're loud in bed." She actually giggled.

He raised his head from her chest and glared at her. "We are not."

She rolled her eyes and ruffled his hair.

He reached over and grabbed her shirt and pants and then rolled off of her so she could get dressed. He hadn't even gotten his pants all the way off so it didn't take him long to get himself together.

Once they were back on the trail he started feeling nervous again. She was right. He liked her. He liked every fucking thing about her. He liked the sound of her voice and the way she laughed and how, even though she let herself get her ass kicked, she had protected her little girl from Ed. He liked the way she didn't look at him like he was any different than anybody else and he liked the way she looked and he liked the way she...

She kissed him. It was a quick kiss and then she stepped back so they weren't touching at all. She looked nervous herself. She shifted from one foot to the other and then she looked down at her feet. "Look, I don't want you to think that I expect anything to come of this," she said before taking a deep breath and then meeting his eyes. He didn't look away. He didn't even feel the need to. "I know what it was, okay? And I'm okay with that. Don't think I'm gonna start following you around or trying to act like we're a... a couple or anything."

He wasn't sure what to say to that so he just nodded. She gave him a small smile as she turned and headed back towards camp.

He watched her go, wondering to himself what he was suppose to do now. He knew what this was. The world was insane now and death was only a stones throw away from them at any given time. So they had gone at it in a last ditch effort to get their rocks off before a group of walking dead swept through and killed every one of them...

Right?

~H~

**Six Months Later...**

Carol was laying on her back with her arms crossed behind her head. The clouds were drifting by slowly, morphing from one shape to the other. She was doing that thing she had done as a child, finding faces and pictures in the clouds.

"That one looks like a goat," she muttered almost sleepily. "What do you see?"

The silence stretched on for a little while before she heard his answer. "A cloud," he deadpanned, causing her to roll her eyes.

"You have no imagination, Daryl. It's almost sad."

Suddenly there wasn't a cloud to be seen as a face popped into her line of vision, grinning down at her. "Ain't what you was moanin' last night in the barn."

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she pushed at his chest. He wasn't to be deterred however as he dodged her attempts to push him off of her. "You're an ass."

He kissed her hard and she instantly gave up the fight, wrapping her arms around his neck. "That's why you like me. I'm an ass. You finally met somebody you got a lot in common with." He nipped her earlobe with his teeth.

"I only like you for your body, Dixon. Don't fool yourself." She laughed as he raised up and glared down at her.

"You're real cute. Even though you're an asshole." He rolled off of her onto his back.

She laughed and then reached for his hand, his fingers instantly laced through hers. "I love you," she said quietly after a few long minutes.

He yanked her over until she was on top of him. "You know what happens when you say that to a Dixon?"

She grinned. "Don't you dare." She scurried off of him but it was too late. He was faster than her. Before she could take a few steps he was up and had her around the waist.

"Daryl no!" She yelled right as he threw her, fully clothed, right off the dock and into the pond. She came up sputtering, the water wasn't as warm as it could have been.

"Augh!" She glared at him as she wiped water from her eyes but then as she looked up she couldn't help but smile.

He stood at the very edge, hands on his hips, grin in place. "I love you t... fuck!" He hit the water with a bigger splash than she had made herself.

He came up sputtering just like she had, shaking water from his hair. Sophia stood at the edge now, arms crossed, giving him a severe look.

"I told you I'd get you back for throwing me in there the other day, Dixon." She said almost angrily but with an unmistakable twinkle in her eye. She adored the man.

She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving the two of them hauling themselves out of the pond like a couple of drowned rats.

They made there way to the house, her hand in his, teeth chattering. Both grinning from ear to ear.

Life wasn't as bad as they had all feared it would be. Life for Carol and Sophia hadn't really even started until after the world ended. Carol was pretty sure he felt the same way.


End file.
